Cushion back brush and pad therefor



April 1940- N. w. JENSEN 2,197,551

CUSHIQN BACK BRUSH AND PAD THEREFOR Filed July 22, 1957 x //v VE/V 7-02:

Niels W Jensen 56.3

Patented Apr. 15, 1940 PATENT OFFICE CUSHION BACK BRUSH AND PAD THEREFOR Niels W. Jensen, Troy, N. Y., assignor to Hughes- Autograf Brush 00., Inc., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 22, 1937, Serial No. 155,059

3 Claims.

The backof a cushion back brush,v and particularly a hair brush, is usually routed with an undercut portion forming a groove in which the edge of a cushion pad is received. The pad is usually shaped to conform to the bottom of said groove and the entire periphery thereof usually engages the entire bottom of the groove. The pad so formed is comparatively unyielding due principally to the fact that there is formed between the cushion back and the back of the brush an air chamber from which the air does not readily escape and which tends to prevent the movement of the cushion back necessary to provide the desired flexibility and resiliency. The result is that when the hair is brushed with a brush of the foregoing character, the ends of the bristles which are usually stiff in a brush of this character, do not yield sufllciently to cause them to conform to the contour of the head and the bristles produce a harsh uncomfortable feeling. In order to permit the admission and escape of air to and from the said air chamber, it has been proposed to provide one or more small vent holes either in the brush pad or in the brush back. Such holes, however, do not permit the air to escape rapidly enough to provide the desired flexibility in the cushion back.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a brush of the foregoing general character in which the brush pad is comparatively flexible, resilient and yielding and which avoids the harsh sensation which is usually produced by a cushion back brush of the character that has hitherto commonly been used.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a brush pad and particularly a bristled pad for use in a brush of the foregoing character.

A specific object of my invention is the provision of a cushion back pad having an indented edge, the projections at the edge of the pad creating the desired flexibility and resiliency in the cushion back.

Other novel features of my invention will appear in the specification and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood by refer ence to the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hair brush embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bristled cushion back detached from the brush;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. l, and

.Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modification. I

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, l0 indicates gen erally a hair brush comprising a brush back H and a handle l2. While I have illustrated a hair brush and shall describe my invention particularly in connection therewith, it is to be understood that it is also applicable to other toilet brushes. The back of the brush is routed as at l3 providing an undercut portion l4 forming a groove IS in which the edge of the cushion pad l6 for the brush back is received. As heretofore indicated, the edge of the cushion back has usually been regular in form, engaging the entire bottom of the groove in the undercut portion thereof, there- 1 by preventing the free flow of air to and from the air chamber formed between the rubber cushion and the brush back. The result is that the edge of the pad, as well as the main portion thereof, is comparatively unyielding and lacks resiliency, and when used to brush the hair, the bristles do not yieldsufflciently to permit the ends thereof to conform to the contour of the head. The brushing pressure applied to the head is, therefore, applied to a comparatively few bristles and they appear stiff and unyielding under the brushing operation and a harsh disagreeable sensation is produced on the user.

In accordance with my invention, the edge of the cushion pad, instead of being regular in form with the entire periphery thereof engaging the entire bottom of the groove in the undercut portion of the brush back, is indented, the ends only of the projections which form the indentations engaging the bottom of the groove at spaced points. The air may thus flow freely through the indentations to and from the chamber formed between the brush back and the rubber cushion, thus permitting comparatively free movement of the cushion back and providing desired flexibility thereof. One or more openings in the brush back or in the cushion back may, of course, be provided, though I have found that such openings are unnecessary when the brush is provided with my improvements.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2, the edge of the cushion back is provided with spaced bluntly pointed projections l'l preferably evenly distributed around the edge of said back or pad, the ends only of which engage the bottom of the groove [5 and which are readily bent, under a brushing operation, thereby permitting the desired flexibility and resiliency of vide openings through which any air imprisoned in the space between the pad and the brush back may escape, thereby relieving the cushion back of any tendency towards rigidity which might be occasioned by the presence of a confined body of air.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of my invention in which the elements Ill which project from the edge of the pad [6! are substantially rec-.

tangular in form, but which preferably .decrease in thickness outwardly.

While I have illustrated but two of the possible constructions of the cushion back pad by which an indented construction may be secured, the flexibility thereof may be increased by indentations of other form, as for example, by making the edge with spaced semi-circular projections sinuous in form, serrate, or other construction by which the edge of the pad is caused to engage the bottom of the groove at spaced points only. When I refer in the claims, therefore, to the edge of. the cushion back pad as being indented,

I mean to cover all such constructions in which the edge of the pad engages the bottom of the groove formed by the undercut portion of the brush at spaced points only.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than-of limitation and that changes within the purview'of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broadest aspects.

What I claim is:

' '1. In a toilet brush, a routed brush back the routed portion of which is provided with an undercut groove, a cushion back pad provided with bristles and formed of. flexible resilient material and the edge ofwhich is provided with pointed projecting members engageable with the bottom of said groove at spaced points.

2. In a toilet brush, a routed brush back, the routed portion of which is provided with an undercut groove, a resilient deformable cushion back pad the periphery of which is provided with a plurality of spaced projections receivable in said groove, said projections defining a plurality of spaced recesses along the periphery of said pad to provide for passage of air to and from the space between the pad and said brush back when said cushion back is flexed, said recesses extending to points adjacent the entrance of. the groove.

3. A toilet brush as defined in claim 2 characterized by the spaced projections decreasing in thickness outwardly from the pad.

NIELS W. JENSEN. 

